College Park to Hold Gun Buy Back Program Saturday

The city of College Park will hold a gun buyback program on Saturday, Feb. 9 on the grounds of the city auditorium – 3631 Main Street. The program is open to residents and offers cash for firearms.

The “guns for cash” program is open to the College Park community; guns may be turned in with no questions asked.

The Mayor and Council approved the program during the Nov. 19 meeting, saying the effort is to rid the streets of guns by allowing an anonymous collection of firearms at the auditorium. The city allotted $20,000 dollars for the event.

Ward II Councilman Joe Carn is excited about reducing the number of guns on the street. “We want to reduce crime in our community and we are hoping residents can use the extra money”, Carn said. “No questions asked.”

Carn has organized a press conference for 4pm on the day of the event, and expects participation by local clergy and elected officials.

Participants who drop off hand guns that qualify will receive $100 cash on the spot; $150 for rifles or assault-style weapons.

The “no questions asked” policy means that people won’t be asked for identification, but guns will be checked against a database for serial numbers before they are destroyed.

“We’re hoping for a lot of people to turn in guns,” said College Park Police Chief Ron Fears. “It is my hope that this program will raise the consciousness of our citizens about guns.”